Lloyd Glasspool wins ITF title in Iowa

Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool claimed a huge ranking scalp as he won his first singles title of the year at the Old Capitol Pro Tennis Futures event in Iowa City. Glasspool defeated top seed Evgeny Karlovskiy – who is ranked 293 ranking places above the Brit – 7-6 7-6.

Victory will have tasted sweet for the 24 year-old, who has endured a difficult 2018. Having failed to reach the semi-final stage of any tournament this year, Glasspool has seen his ranking drop outside the world’s top 500. However Sunday’s title will bring renewed optimism that the talented Birmingham player can fight for his place back inside the top 300.

The opening set saw Glasspool recover from 2-4, before winning the tie-break comfortably. The serve of both players dominated the second set, as they continued to hold comfortably. Despite taking the opening point, Karlovskiy couldn’t cope with the quality of the Brit, as Glasspool swept away to win the next seven points and win the tournament.

The title is Glasspool’s first since September 2017 and ensures that he has an ITF title for the fourth consecutive year. The Brit still has a lot of work to do for the rest of the year, with ranking points to defend on the ITF circuit, but if he continues to play like he did in Iowa, then there is every chance that he can work his way back to his career high ranking of 282.